Left atrial appendage occlusion device causing coronary obstruction : a word of caution

Abstract

Closure of the left atrial appendage is a common procedure for patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing cardiac surgery. The technique of left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) by an extracardiac clip (AtriClip) is established as a reliable method. Acute coronary obstruction of the circumflex artery has already been described after minimally invasive LAAO. Here, we report a case of delayed circumflex artery obstruction after open‐heart surgery. A patient who had mitral and tricuspid valve surgery in combination with AtriClip implantation suffered from myocardial infarction 24 h after clip implantation. Cardiac catheterization showed that the circumflex artery was obstructed on the level of the AtriClip device. The stenosis was treated by percutaneous coronary intervention with stent implantation. In conclusion, the surgeon should consider placing the AtriClip device slightly far away from the base of the left atrial appendage to avoid coronary obstruction.